title: Study of corneal copper deposits in Wilson's disease by in vivo confocal microscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study corneal copper deposits in Wilson's disease (WD) patients by traditional biomicroscopy and in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty WD patients and 20 matched controls underwent an ophthalmic examination in one eye randomly chosen, including slit lamp biomicroscopy with Goldmann's three-mirror contact lens examination and LSCM, in order to evaluate copper deposits in the peripheral cornea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No control subjects had corneal changes at both traditional biomicroscopy and LSCM. Only 25% of WD patients had detectable slit lamp changes, compared with 75% with LSCM examination. All cases detected by slit lamp were detected by LSCM. A significant correlation (p < 0.01) was found between deposit intensity at LSCM and daily urinary copper excretion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LSCM could detect copper deposition in WD corneas in more patients than traditional examination; it may therefore provide important information in cases of suspected WD diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, U.O. Oculistica, Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Odontoiatria, Azienda Ospedaliera San Paolo, Milano, Italia.
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ceresara
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fogagnolo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuin
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zatelli
authors.forename: Jerôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bovet
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin